Chamber
Plenary, 14 Nov 2007
14 Nov 2007 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Stobhill Hospital <br />(Parking Charges)
I pay tribute to Paul Martin for bringing the issue to Parliament's attention. The debate so far has been useful in shining a light on many of the problems that car parking charges are causing.
I am keen to speak in today's debate and must declare an interest. My partner, Janet, is a nurse and has been affected by car parking charges at both Glasgow royal infirmary and Glasgow's Western infirmary, where she currently works. Although the motion mentions Stobhill specifically, this is a health-board-wide issue. That is why I support the independent review that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, has commissioned and which is due to report shortly.
I can speak with confidence and direct experience of the anger and frustrations that car parking charges are causing to staff across Glasgow, and which they will cause to staff at Stobhill. When charges were first introduced at the royal infirmary, nurses were charged £25 per month. By the time Janet applied for a permit there, the cost was £47 and the current charge is £57. That car park is owned by Impregilo Parking (Glasgow) Ltd and managed by a company called APCOA Parking (UK) Ltd, which is a private profit-making organisation. Profit is not the motive that Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board should have when it considers whether there should be car parking charges at its hospitals.
My partner currently works at the Western infirmary, where—as at Stobhill—charges are determined by Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board. If staff at those hospitals cannot qualify for a permit—which costs up to £40 per month—they must pay £7 a day. Not everyone qualifies for a permit. Staff are allocated permits on the basis of their need to access a car to do their jobs and of the frequency of journeys that they need to make. Staff who do not receive a permit cannot park in staff car parks. I have direct experience of the issue, as some of my partner's colleagues applied for permits, just as staff at Stobhill will have to do. Although a member of staff from Bearsden received a permit, members of staff from Wishaw and Linlithgow did not. There is no coherence, organisation, structure or fairness in how charges are applied and in who gets permits.
Janet is quite fortunate, because she stays in Maryhill and can get to the Western infirmary relatively easily. However, I do not want her to walk down to it at 7 in the morning in inclement weather, and would prefer her to take her car. Doing that daily for a month would cost her £91 in car parking charges.
I am mindful of the fact that in April 2004 the previous Executive issued guidelines on car parking charges and that at the time there was no opposition in principle to such charges. However, the Executive put some criteria in place. In 2005, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board committed itself to a strategy of car parking charges, but only to deal with specific problems. From what Paul Martin and others have said today, it is evident that many of those specific problems do not exist at Stobhill. Why is Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board applying a one-size-fits-all approach to car parking charges in the entire health board area?
It is clear that the pending review must consider not just the general principles behind car parking charges but how they affect patients, staff, carers and visitors at all hospitals. It must certainly deal with the real concerns that patients, staff, carers and visitors have at Stobhill. I commend Paul Martin for bringing the issue to our attention.
I am keen to speak in today's debate and must declare an interest. My partner, Janet, is a nurse and has been affected by car parking charges at both Glasgow royal infirmary and Glasgow's Western infirmary, where she currently works. Although the motion mentions Stobhill specifically, this is a health-board-wide issue. That is why I support the independent review that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, has commissioned and which is due to report shortly.
I can speak with confidence and direct experience of the anger and frustrations that car parking charges are causing to staff across Glasgow, and which they will cause to staff at Stobhill. When charges were first introduced at the royal infirmary, nurses were charged £25 per month. By the time Janet applied for a permit there, the cost was £47 and the current charge is £57. That car park is owned by Impregilo Parking (Glasgow) Ltd and managed by a company called APCOA Parking (UK) Ltd, which is a private profit-making organisation. Profit is not the motive that Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board should have when it considers whether there should be car parking charges at its hospitals.
My partner currently works at the Western infirmary, where—as at Stobhill—charges are determined by Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board. If staff at those hospitals cannot qualify for a permit—which costs up to £40 per month—they must pay £7 a day. Not everyone qualifies for a permit. Staff are allocated permits on the basis of their need to access a car to do their jobs and of the frequency of journeys that they need to make. Staff who do not receive a permit cannot park in staff car parks. I have direct experience of the issue, as some of my partner's colleagues applied for permits, just as staff at Stobhill will have to do. Although a member of staff from Bearsden received a permit, members of staff from Wishaw and Linlithgow did not. There is no coherence, organisation, structure or fairness in how charges are applied and in who gets permits.
Janet is quite fortunate, because she stays in Maryhill and can get to the Western infirmary relatively easily. However, I do not want her to walk down to it at 7 in the morning in inclement weather, and would prefer her to take her car. Doing that daily for a month would cost her £91 in car parking charges.
I am mindful of the fact that in April 2004 the previous Executive issued guidelines on car parking charges and that at the time there was no opposition in principle to such charges. However, the Executive put some criteria in place. In 2005, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board committed itself to a strategy of car parking charges, but only to deal with specific problems. From what Paul Martin and others have said today, it is evident that many of those specific problems do not exist at Stobhill. Why is Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board applying a one-size-fits-all approach to car parking charges in the entire health board area?
It is clear that the pending review must consider not just the general principles behind car parking charges but how they affect patients, staff, carers and visitors at all hospitals. It must certainly deal with the real concerns that patients, staff, carers and visitors have at Stobhill. I commend Paul Martin for bringing the issue to our attention.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S3M-612, in the name of Paul Martin, on car parking charges at Stobhill hospital. The deba...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes with concern the proposal by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to introduce car parking charges at Stobhill Hospital later this year; r...
Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab):
Lab
I thank all the members who supported the motion and the thousands of people from my constituency and other constituencies who signed a petition in oppositio...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
I ask members to check that their mobile phones are switched off.
Paul Martin:
Lab
I hear an allegation from Cathie Craigie that it might be my mobile phone that was interfering with the sound system, but it was definitely not mine.As we en...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Before I call other members to speak, I remind them that the debate is about parking at Stobhill hospital—the motion is quite specific.
Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Paul Martin on securing this debate on an important matter. I apologise to him and to members that I will have to leave when I finish speaking...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab):
Lab
I congratulate Paul Martin on securing the debate. Stobhill serves his constituency, but the wider area that it serves stretches into my constituency, too. I...
Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
As we are all aware, Stobhill is only one of the hospitals where such car parking charges are being imposed. The charges are spread across Glasgow and the Bo...
Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab):
Lab
Like other members, I congratulate Paul Martin on bringing his motion to the Parliament for debate. I acknowledge the work that he has done over the years to...
Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con):
Con
I, too, thank Paul Martin for giving us the opportunity to debate this issue. I appreciate that a review is under way. I have lodged motions in relation to S...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Given the number of members who wish to speak, I am minded to accept a motion under rule 8.14.3, that the debate be extended by up to 30 minutes.
Motion moved,
That, under Rule 8.14.3, the debate be extended until 6.31 pm.—Paul Martin.
Motion agreed to.
Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
This is my first speech in the Parliament that I have not written down, so it might be a wee bit more interesting than usual. However, I guarantee that my sp...
David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
I speak in support of the motion in Paul Martin's name. I have also supported the local petition that he organised. More than 300 of the signatures on the pe...
Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I pay tribute to Paul Martin for bringing the issue to Parliament's attention. The debate so far has been useful in shining a light on many of the problems t...
Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab):
Lab
I thank Paul Martin for giving us the opportunity to have this debate this evening. I start with a confession: I was not born at Stobhill, or even in Glasgow...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab):
Lab
I, too, congratulate Paul Martin on securing this debate. At the outset, I should make it clear that I recognise that the motion very much deals with Stobhil...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon):
SNP
I could be unseasonal and suggest to Jackie Baillie that it was open to the previous Administration to tackle this issue before last Christmas and that it de...
Paul Martin:
Lab
I welcome the cabinet secretary's commitment to carry out a review in respect of a number of issues, but will she examine the fact that the green transport p...
Nicola Sturgeon:
SNP
I will go on to talk about the review and about the timescale that I have deliberately set for it, because I understand that many car parking policies have b...
Meeting closed at 18:31.